Examining Contradictions in Behaviors of Masoud Pezeshkian; From Justice-Oriented Campaign Promises to Mourning and Emphasis on Previous Government Policies

Masoud Pezeshkian's political behavior and speech before and after the government voting in July has disheartened many who hoped for improvement based on his campaign slogans and claims. By referring to a 'strong fist' for those who did not vote, he dashed the hopes of those looking for a 'breakthrough.' Pezeshkian's 'strong fist' towards citizens who abstained from voting, the cancellation of a press conference with media, his mourning activities during Muharram, a promotional interview with Khamenei's website, and his reference to a 'strong fist' for the boycotters of the 'election circus' are just examples of his post-election performance as the regime's chosen candidate to succeed Ebrahim Raisi. Pezeshkian, who tried to appear as a government critic during his campaign using slogans such as justice-seeking and opposing the treatment of women regarding compulsory hijab, even utilized the voice of the banned singer Haydeh and the song 'Baraye' by Shervin Hajipour, which symbolizes the widespread protests of the Iranian people in 2022. The day after being introduced as the winner of the government voting, he canceled a press conference and instead rushed to meet Khamenei. Mohammad Javad Zarif and Mohammad Javad Azari Jahromi, who played key roles in Pezeshkian's election campaign, were previously the Foreign Minister and Minister of Communications in Hassan Rouhani's government. Zarif's role in justifying the repressive policies of the Islamic Republic during the protests of December 2017 and November 2019, as well as the IRGC's missile strike on the Ukrainian passenger plane, and Azari Jahromi's role in the nationwide internet shutdown in Iran and the mass killing of protesters in November 2019 have been repeatedly criticized by observers. He also expressed gratitude to Ali Khamenei, stating, 'If it weren't for him, my name wouldn't have come out of the boxes,' and 'This was the guidance that the leader had.' One of Pezeshkian's first actions after being introduced as the President of the fourteenth government of the Islamic Republic was his prominent presence in Muharram mourning ceremonies, which began on the first day alongside the Supreme Leader. During this time, he also met with several government mourners who played roles in suppressing public protests or supported the repression of protesters. On the night of Ashura, he engaged in mourning rituals in the Abdolabad area of Tehran. A photographic report also shows Pezeshkian mourning in the Islamic Consultative Assembly on the occasion of Muharram. The new head of the executive branch of the Islamic Republic, who had previously asked citizens to vote for him and to withdraw their votes if he did not fulfill his promises, compared himself to Hussein, the third Imam of Shiites, stating that one of the main reasons for the Ashura incident was that 'a group promised Hussein to come, and when he came, everyone turned their backs and did not adhere to their words and signatures. They promised and did not keep their promise.' Another of Pezeshkian's first actions after the second round of government voting for the succession of Ebrahim Raisi was to speak with officials from some countries, including Russia and Syria, emphasizing the continuation of alignment with these countries. He also reiterated the Islamic Republic's support for Ismail Haniyeh, the leader of the Hamas militant group, and Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of the Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon. Meeting with military officials, including commanders of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, was another action of Pezeshkian in the early days of his introduction as Raisi's successor, which some observers see as a sign of the continuation of the Islamic Republic's grand policies. In this regard, political analyst Shahin Modarres told VOA that Pezeshkian's messages to Haniyeh and Nasrallah indicate that the Islamic Republic's approach towards them has not changed; rather, 'the agent of Khamenei has changed.' Masoud Pezeshkian, who was supposed to hold a press conference with media representatives on July 16 after announcing his 'victory' in the government voting, canceled the press conference and instead went for a long meeting of about five hours with Khamenei. Despite announcing a press conference with domestic and foreign journalists on July 16 and declaring his victory in the government elections, this conference has yet to take place nearly a month later. On August 4, Pezeshkian participated in an exclusive interview with Khamenei's website. In this exclusive interview, he stated that he would present his cabinet list to the Supreme Leader and after 'consultation and coordination' with him, he would introduce the 'final summary' to the Islamic Consultative Assembly. Pezeshkian emphasized adherence to Khamenei's general policies, stating, 'We should make people feel that we have not lied to them,' and that the Supreme Leader's policies 'serve as a guiding light for the path and define our goal,' and 'to establish reforms, we must work hand in hand.' The cancellation of the press conference with domestic and foreign journalists by Masoud Pezeshkian and his visit to Khamenei instead, as well as the exclusive interview with the Supreme Leader's website, continue to be criticized on social media. For instance, one user asked Pezeshkian, days after the cancellation of the press conference, 'What happened to the press interview plan?' Pezeshkian criticized the 'low price' of gasoline, stating that despite his previous remarks during the government 'election' campaign, where he implicitly rejected raising gasoline prices, he mentioned in an interview with Khamenei's website that gasoline is 'bought for about 30 to 40 thousand tomans' and 'sold for 1500 tomans; well, how long can we keep doing this?' He also criticized the level of electricity consumption in Iran, describing it as 'equal to all of Europe.' In the swearing-in ceremony held on Sunday, August 7, at the Hosseiniyeh of Ruhollah Khomeini, Masoud Pezeshkian expressed gratitude to some government institutions and currents, including the Guardian Council, the Ministry of Interior, and 'principlist, reformist, and transformative political currents.' In this session, Ali Khamenei also dedicated a significant portion of his speech to remarks against the Pahlavi kings, claiming that 'Mohammad Reza Pahlavi resorted to the United States and Britain to overthrow a national government.' After the swearing-in, Masoud Pezeshkian visited the family of Ali Akbar Alahzadeh, the Friday prayer leader of Tabriz, who died in a plane crash alongside Ebrahim Raisi, and spoke with them. The contradictory behavior and speech of Masoud Pezeshkian before and after the government 'election' have faced criticism from citizens. Pezeshkian, who now emphasizes previous Islamic Republic policies and calls the leader's opinions 'guiding lights,' had previously stated in contradictory remarks the necessity of cooperating with the world and joining the FATF, calling the circumvention of sanctions a wrong path that, according to him, 'has a lot of corruption in it, and no one can stop it.' He also pointed out the 'fights and disagreements' among politicians and managers of the Islamic Republic, stating, 'Until we solve this problem, we cannot remove this issue from our path,' and 'the fight we are having is a fight for power, not for service.' During his campaign for the succession of Raisi, he had also accused the judiciary of the Islamic Republic of having 'opened a feast' in the Ministry of Health and Treatment, the government, and the parliament.